Victor William Saeger died on June 8, 2020 in Webster Groves, Missouri at the age of 87.

Vic was born on May 17, 1933 in Kansas City, Missouri to Victor Saeger and Clara Saeger (née Graebner). It was a tightly-knit family, bound closely by the death of their father at a young age, Vic’s youngest brother Donnie who had Down Syndrome, and the indomitable and loving spirit of his mother Clara. He graduated from Paseo High School at the age of 16 and attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 1953. He continued his education at Iowa State University, Ames, obtaining his Doctorate in Chemistry in 1960.

Vic was married to his wife Florence for almost 58 years, and together they raised two children, Deborah (now of Madison, WI) and Steven (now of Boulder, CO) in Kirkwood, Missouri. He worked for 30 years as a research chemist at Monsanto before taking early retirement in 1990, then continued to work in the company’s retiree corps for nearly 20 additional years.

Vic’s generosity, kindness, and humility were among his defining traits. He was a man of few words unless they involved witticisms or bad puns, in which case he had an inexhaustible supply. Together with Flo he gave generously of both time and money to Christ Lutheran Church (and Luther Memorial Church before that) and delivered Meals on Wheels for 25 years. He also served as a volunteer coordinator for Room at the Inn, an emergency shelter. After his retirement, he traveled extensively with Flo visiting five of the seven continents, with memorable trips to China, Kenya, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Europe, and multiple trips to Australia to visit relatives. At times he was also an avid collector of coins, stamps, beer cans, newspaper clippings, and coupons, the last of which he used as often as possible. He was a longtime fan of both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Missouri Tigers, although only the former brought him much joy in recent years.

Vic is survived by his wife Flo, daughter Deb (Chris), son Steve, grandson Sam, brother Rich (Sandy), sisters-in-law Lorraine, Rose, and Linda, brothers-in-law Keith and Carl, and many nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers John and Donnie, and sister Charlotte. A memorial service will be held at Christ Lutheran Church at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider contributions in Vic’s memory to Christ Lutheran Church, the Missouri Botanical Garden, or the St. Louis Food Bank.